Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2015

Most aspiring entrepreneurs believe that a great idea alone will assure business success. Yet in this age when customers have a thousand alternatives, and are overwhelmed by a multitude of messages, sales efforts can make or break a business. No pain usually means no sales. Customers set value based on similar products found.

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Sales Entrepreneur Customer Custom 106

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2020

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Serious investors, on the other hand, look for a professional business plan or summary first, and hardly ever look at the product plan.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Startup Summary Product 124

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2017

You may think this is only important to your marketing and sales people, but in reality it doesn’t matter how great your product or technology might be, you won’t succeed if you don’t understand your target customer decision process. Every aspect of your business must be about sales. This is the growth equation for a startup.

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Sales Entrepreneur Customer Custom 82

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 13, 2022

I recommend the ten points in a classic book by Bill Murphy, Jr., titled “ The Intelligent Entrepreneur ,” outlining the keys to successful entrepreneurship, as follows: Make the commitment. It will likely take several ideas, with the learning process of failing on a couple, before you can call yourself a successful entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Resource 110

InfoChachkie

JUNE 3, 2013

John Lusk, along with his Co-Author Kyle Harrison, leveraged their humble company''s newsletter into The MouseDriver Chronicles , a New York Times bestselling book. Upon graduation from Wharton, John and Kyle launched a startup based upon a simple, pedestrian product: a computer mouse shaped like the head of a golf driver.

Newsletter 133

Newsletter Startup Entrepreneur Writing 133

InfoChachkie

JULY 4, 2011

There are a number of other children’s books that also serve as good platforms from which you can impart entrepreneurial values and lessons. One such book comes from a surprising source, the notoriously left-leaning Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. He continues smiling and deploys a rudimentary sales technique.

Sales 219

Sales Entrepreneur Startup Product 219

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2014

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Serious investors, on the other hand, look for a professional business plan or summary first, and hardly ever look at the product plan.

Product 101

Product Entrepreneur Summary Activity 101

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

A good entrepreneur is not necessarily born a good salesman. In my own effort to keep up with the times, I explored Julie Steelman’s book on selling, “ The Effortless Yes: Demystifying the Selling Process.” Julie is known as the entrepreneur’s selling mentor, for both men and women. Engage graciously. Perfect your natural ask.

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Sales Entrepreneur Mentor Customer 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2021

It seems like everyone wants to be an entrepreneur and get rich these days. It’s really a multi-step process, with the first step getting you from an idea to a viable product, and the remaining steps creating a sustainable business. Attend trade shows and network to find the right players and pitch your product.

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Ideas Entrepreneur Mentor Resource 136

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2023

In my experience in large businesses as well as years of advising startups, I see far too much focus on product skills, and too little on people and process skills. His focus is on sales, but I see the same skills needed for entrepreneurs. Great entrepreneurs are able to think on their feet, and are always prepared.

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Startup Sales Entrepreneur Customer 154

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2020

Every business wants and needs top performers, but most entrepreneurs and executives assume that if they hire and train the smartest and most experienced people, they will get exceptional performance. I saw the key ones outlined well in the classic book, “ Creating High Performers ,” by William Dann, a leading coach to experienced CEOs.

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Coach Satisfaction Resource 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2023

As a startup advisor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. Overall I like the principles in the classic book “ Robert’s Rules of Innovation: A 10-Step Program for Corporate Survival ,” by Robert F. An entrepreneur looking for a sure thing will never innovate.

Coach 137

Coach Metrics Competition Ideas 137

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 12, 2010

A while back I wrote a bunch of posts on Sales & Marketing and have been meaning to get back to that theme for a while. Even if you don’t have “direct&# sales I would tell you that “everything is a sale&# including fund raising, hiring, getting press and doing business development. You learn by asking.

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Sales Startup Technical Review Customer 346

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 3, 2010

I’d like to talk about Crocodile Salesmen in 3 scenarios: 1) when YOU are selling (or someone on your team), 2) when you are trying to recruit a sales person. But how to apply “listening&# in a sales meeting? Beware of Crocodile Sales. They are seldom productive. Many of you are “tellers,&# too.

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Sales Startup Venture Capital Customer 314

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2022

Early-stage entrepreneurs rightly keep their focus on creating an innovative product or service. That’s where I see too much entrepreneur burnout, growth plateaus, and founders being replaced, to their chagrin. Of course, not every entrepreneur wants to tackle this challenge. There is no free lunch.

Sales 147

Sales Metrics Guide Startup 147

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 4, 2021

Does your business have a visible positive strategy, or do your customers and employees still see your primary focus as closing more sales and killing competitors? I just remember the classic book, “ The Strategic Leader’s Roadmap ,” by Harbir Singh and Michael Useem from the Wharton School, which provides some specific steps along the way.

Competition 110

Competition Sales Customer Custom 110

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 25, 2021

You may think this is only important to your marketing and sales people, but in reality it doesn’t matter how great your product or technology might be, you won’t succeed if you don’t understand your target customer decision process. Every aspect of your business must be about sales. This is the growth equation for a startup.

Customer 136

Customer Custom Sales Social Media 136

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2013

If you ever want to read the great American generational immigrant business story read American Pastoral by Philip Roth, which won the Pulitzer Prize and was voted by Time Magazine as one of the best 100 books of all time. Was this the latest Chinese product to take off in the US? He was driven by wanting to provide a great product.

Entrepreneur 415

Entrepreneur Startup Pricing Product 415

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 4, 2021

Every entrepreneur I know is short on resources, including time, money, and skills. Much has been written about this subject in the world of manufacturing, stemming primarily from the 1990’s work by Taiichi Ohno, called the Toyota Production System (“Lean”). Bottlenecks to team productivity. Hire real help and learn to delegate.

Startup 161

Startup Resource Training Entrepreneur 161

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2016

In my experience in large businesses as well as years of advising startups, I see far too much focus on product skills, and too little on people and process skills. His focus is on sales, but I see the same skills needed for entrepreneurs. Great entrepreneurs are able to think on their feet, and are always prepared.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur Sales Startup Customer 106

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 23, 2021

The company aims to have its first product approved by European regulators by 2023 and notching commercial sales by 2025. These products don’t get at the full potential for cellular technology according to Daan Luining, Meatable’s chief technology officer.

Chief Technology Officer 261

Chief Technology Officer Technical Review Software Review Product 261

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2022

Every startup lucky enough to get some traction gets to the point where they decide to hire some “regular employees” for sales, marketing, and administrative tasks. Then they are surprised to see productivity and creativity take a big dip. Sales will be the organization’s sole focus.” Again, you get what you demand and reward.

Startup 134

Startup Training Sales Entrepreneur 134

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2019

Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. They skimp on the design of their website, procrastinate on the rollout to make sure the product is perfect, and get so excited about technology features that they forget about creating value for customers. They will call you back.

Marketing 97

Marketing Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review 97

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2022

I expect that should seem intuitive to all entrepreneurs, but every investor I know has many stories about startup funding requests with major business model elements missing. A target market is the group of customers that the startup plans to attract through marketing and sales their product or service. Sales/Marketing.

Sales 102

Sales Customer Custom Outsource 102

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 23, 2023

Those of us in the business of calculating (guessing) this mythical peak in value often make the same mistake as our entrepreneurs. Competitors, seeing a successful development of a niche, flock into the competitive void with products or services built with a fresh view of the current environment. But there are wolves in the woods.

Pricing 156

Pricing Invest Equity Entrepreneur 156

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

I saw some real guidance in the classic book by Loc de Brabandere and Alan Iny, “ Thinking in New Boxes.” For example, if it’s getting harder to charge a price premium for the product you’re marketing, or others are offering your subscription service for free, it may be time to start thinking in a new box.

Entrepreneur 93

Entrepreneur eBook Metrics Examples 93

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2014

Every entrepreneur I know is short on resources, including time, money, and skills. Much has been written about this subject in the world of manufacturing, stemming primarily from the 1990’s work by Taiichi Ohno, called the Toyota Production System (“Lean”). Bottlenecks to team productivity. Hire real help and learn to delegate.

Entrepreneur 115

Entrepreneur Resource Training Product 115

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 6, 2011

A good entrepreneur is not necessarily born a good salesman. In my own effort to keep up with the times, I just finished a new book by Julie Steelman, “ The Effortless Yes: Demystifying the Selling Process.” Julie is known as the entrepreneur’s selling mentor, for both men and women. Engage graciously. Perfect your natural ask.

Sales 93

Sales Entrepreneur Mentor Customer 93

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 18, 2016

When entrepreneurs introduce new products to the market, their passion and conviction often leads them to assume that every potential customer will see the immediate need and value, and will quickly adopt the solution. Multiple decision makers required to close a sale. Products so innovative that they define a new category.

Product 95

Product Case Study Customer Custom 95

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2023

When entrepreneurs introduce new products to the market, their passion and conviction often leads them to assume that every potential customer will see the immediate need and value, and will quickly adopt the solution. Multiple decision makers required to close a sale. Products so innovative that they define a new category.

Case Study 89

Case Study Customer Custom Study 89

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 16, 2009

This is part of my new series on what makes an entrepreneur successful. I originally posted it on VentureHacks , one of my favorite websites for entrepreneurs. I don’t think it takes book smart people to build great companies – sometimes it’s a hindrance. If you haven’t spent time over there you should.

Entrepreneur 306

Entrepreneur Startup Outsource Development Customer 306

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 30, 2021

Several times in my investing life, as the final board member making the arrangements to dispose of remaining assets, I have literally been the one to turn out the lights, carry out the documents, books and records to my car, and become the only remaining contact between the failed business and the investors, bankruptcy court, or creditors.

Entrepreneur 156

Entrepreneur Training Invest Email 156

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2020

For best results, my advice is to think like an entrepreneur, even if you are a corporate employee. According to many studies, entrepreneurs tend to be happier , and over 80 percent of self-made millionaires are entrepreneurs. I saw these highlighted well in a classic book, “ Get Smart! ”

Entrepreneur 117

Entrepreneur Sales Customer Custom 117

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 31, 2023

Every entrepreneur knows that good demand generation marketing is the key to growth these days, but very few have the discipline or know-how to measure return in a world of a thousand tools and techniques. Selecting the right sales channels is one of the first strategic decisions that every startup faces. Lead management performance.

Metrics 102

Metrics Demand Paramount Content 102

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2020

When entrepreneurs introduce new products to the market, their passion and conviction often leads them to assume that every potential customer will see the immediate need and value, and will quickly adopt the solution. Multiple decision makers required to close a sale. Products so innovative that they define a new category.

Case Study 174

Case Study Startup Customer Custom 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 17, 2017

Every startup lucky enough to get some traction gets to the point where they decide to hire some “regular employees” for sales, marketing, and administrative tasks. Then they are surprised to see productivity and creativity take a big dip. Sales will be the organization’s sole focus.” Again, you get what you demand and reward.

Entrepreneur 69

Entrepreneur Startup Training Sales 69

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 17, 2017

I want to invest in entrepreneurs that have the capacity to be number one at whatever they are doing, and do it within our skill base, which is direct-to-consumer. We want to have startups we can get productive or generating revenue pretty quickly. So, now, as a VC, I swore I'd never treat entrepreneurs like those VCs treated me.

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Venture Capital Entrepreneur Technical Review Software Review 100